Table 1 The criteria for identifying traditional temples

Layout Principles

1. Axial symmetry with a three-courtyard system, religious activity areas (mountain gate, main hall) in the front, living areas in the rear

2. Buddhist temples have Bell Tower and Drum Tower (Bell on the left, Drum on the right)

Structural System

1. Timber post-and-lintel or frame structure with purlins supported by columns

2. Brackets for load-bearing: Wudian roof (highest), Xieshan roof, Yingshan roof (common in folk temples)

Grading System for Cultural Relics

National/Provincial/Municipal-level cultural relics protection units, meeting the criteria of “historical, artistic, and scientific value”

Restoration Technical Norms

1. Following the principle of "no change to the original status of cultural relics”

2. Priority for traditional craftsmanship, e.g., mortise-tenon repair instead of iron nails for timber structures

Traditional Management Systems

Buddhist jungle system (three-level management: abbot, supervisor, weina)